


Those Aren't the Words, but They're Good Enough

by Dariary_Absentee



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy can't handle an emotion to save his life, Birthday, M/M, Steve has pure intentions, flangst, not too many tears in the club tonight boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 05:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13652166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dariary_Absentee/pseuds/Dariary_Absentee
Summary: Steve goes overboard on Billy's birthday and it goes about as well as expected.





	Those Aren't the Words, but They're Good Enough

“I may have gone overboard,” Steve said sitting down beside him with two boxes.

They were alone on the couch at Steve’s, his parents are out of town--in New York--and Billy left his house the moment he woke up. Whatever sad excuse of a birthday dinner Susan had plans for could wait until the afternoon. It was warm, sunny day and the humid air was forgiving. The first let up in weeks, not that Billy was complaining too much about it.

Billy quirked an eyebrow at that. He grabbed the large box from him. He pulled back the red wrapping paper with a golden bow. The box underneath was rectangular and tall. “Can I shake it?” He asked with and eagerly curious smile. “You didn’t get me anything fragile did you?”

Steve shook his head with a tight smile. “No, it should be good.” He hated that he had to get Billy ‘safe’ gifts; things that Neil wouldn’t think to grabbed in a fit of ‘righteous’ fury, nothing too fragile, too flashy, too new to be anything but a gift from someone who cares about him. But Steve made do with the guidelines and stuck to them.

There’s just less heartbreak that way.

Billy shook it, a little surprised by the noise of several ‘parts’ or ‘pieces’ inside. “I think the Lego set was supposed to be for Henderson.”

Steve smirked. “He got his and he loved it,” he nudged him, “and it’s not a Lego set, just open it.”

Billy offered him one more lingering look before he pulled the box opened. His eyes widened,  he wasn’t sure what to expect when there was so much inside of it. Books, a lot of books, so many he couldn’t even process that they were all his.

“Holy fuck, Harrington,” Billy gasped.

“Are you--” He was cut off by Billy’s lips pressed against his, warm and sure, smiling against his own as he cupped his face with both hands. The utter bliss between them made Steve dizzy when Billy pulled away. “Did I do good?”

“I’ll show you how good you did later, pretty boy,” Billy said as turned back to the piles of books inspecting them. Some of them recognized and others he had never heard of but he was enticed regardless.

Steve looked away from him, his smile all teeth and shy. “Jesus, I don’t know what you’re going to do to me after the second gift?”

Billy looked up at him. “Second?” He echoed. “What do you mean?”

Steve pulled out a second, larger box from behind him, he fidgeted with it a little. “I told you, I went a little overboard--”

“You’re trying to make me look bad, that’s what you’re trying to do,” Billy said, rolling his eyes. “Flattery won’t get your throne back.”

He sure he’s referencing the mixtape Billy had made him for his birthday. Like some books could ever out-do his own mixtape that he sat down to make just for him. “No, but you know I don’t want it back. Besides, that gift makes you happy, but this gift is practical. I couldn’t decide. Both were good options.” Really he was just incredibly nervous about this, it bordered on something Steve wasn’t allowed to touch after all.

A small divot formed between Billy’s brows. “Practical, huh?”

“You might not want to shake this one,” Steve said as a little warning.

Billy took the gift into his hands, it was around the same size as the pile of books, slightly larger with the same red wrapping paper and gold bow in the center. He ripped the wrapping paper off. He looked at the box and swallowed, it was a GE Walkie Talkie, the same kind Max, Dustin, Lucas, and even Steve has.

“I figured, y’know, if you can’t get a hold of me through my phone sometimes…” he shrugged. “And Max has one, now if plans ever change you don’t and there isn’t a phone…” Steve slid his hand into his. “You don’t get in trouble for it, she can let you know over walkie.”

Billy didn’t say anything. He swallowed thickly because he knows Steve’s been ‘sworn to silence,’ he knows that he hates every second of it, he sees it in his stupid Bambi eyes how much it tears him apart. If he can’t take him away from his father forever he’s going to try a million different way to keep him from ever laying a hand on him again.  
It’s all in his eyes, the way he holds his hands, silk against all his roughened edges.

“Dustin set you up on a different frequency so you don’t have to hear the Party,” he explained. “Just me and Max.”

He nodded dumbly, feeling numb all over. “You gotta find a way to protect me,” Billy said finally as less of a question than a statement. “You would’ve fallen apart if you just sat around.”

Steve looked away from with his eyes to the floor. “I gotta help somehow.” He took his hands back to resume fidgeting, because God if Steve doesn’t fidget when he gets nervous Billy thinks he might implode. “I…well,” he coughed. “Well,” his voice regained confidence. “I love you, I can’t just...not try.” He shrugged.

Billy could feel his blood run cold and his skin go hot.

He just said _I_ _love you._

“What?”

Steve’s eyes widened a small fraction and even more heartbreakingly they almost closed, half-lidded and jaded. Almost as disappointed as self pitying. “S-sorry,” he shook his head, getting up from the couch in almost a blur, “I’m gonna go make popcorn,” he mumbled, making a b-line for the kitchen.

Billy was behind him, chasing him down in a second and pressing him against the wall. His arms framing him, their faces so close their noses could brush each other.

“Do you think you could give me a minute,” he growled. He was wearing that stupid, dear in headlights expression like he didn’t understand. “Christ, sometimes you’re so slow on the uptake, Harrington,” Billy sighed. “And you never let me finished,” he pulled back, giving Steve space to unstick himself from the wall. He didn’t move though, not an inch. “I’m…” Billy looked away from him, he was dying for a cigarette, booze, anything to make this easier. “I’m not the quickest either…”

Steve snorted.

“Not with some stuff, like this…so, fuck, could you give me a minute to think?” Billy said sounding a little bitter. He feels it too, but words are harder to create than understand. He understands what Steve’s feeling, he knows he feels it too. Turning that shit into words? On the spot? Not easy for him, _at all_. He can’t even remember saying the words I love you to anyone. If he’s said them he’s too old to remember and it was too long ago.

“I saw the look on your face,” Steve admitted looking down at their sock-clad feet. “It scared the shit out of me." He tried not to wince at how absolutely lame and stupid it sounded when he said out loud. He sounds like a coward and he knows it, he just can't get over it. 

“Yeah, well, you scared the shit outta me,” Billy laughed mirthlessly, Steve sort of grinned too though it barely reached his eyes. “I mean, you’ve done it before. Happens a lot, actually.” Steve looked up at him, eyes bright and attentive again. Already ready to try to make things right. Billy stopped him, “sort of, usually it’s when I’m so happy I don’t feel like me anymore.” Because Steve makes him so happy he forgets about everything else trying to bleed into the edges, even if only while he’s with him. “Which I guess is sort of like...I mean, it is my version of love. You make me so goddamn happy I turn into a decent human being, which I think Dustin would call some wizard shit or whatever, ‘cause it practically is.”

Steve practically giggled. “I wouldn’t say wizard...” He blushed, his eyes glazed over a long time ago.

Billy shook his head, invading his space again because all he wants to do is be as close to him as humanly possible again. “Doesn’t matter, you got a fucking way with me, alright? I wanna make you happy. And you, pretty boy, you make me a lot more than happy.”

Steve stared up at him and he can see the extra glimmer in his eyes he knows are tears. He rubbed them away under the heel of his hand. “That works,” he mumbled. He laughed a little, palming at his eyes again. “Jesus, maybe you should make the popcorn.”

“Yeah, I don’t want you getting my end all soggy.” He had Steve under his arm, his hand resting at the small of his back just the way he likes. Billy exhaled heavily, knowing he meant it. Knowing he didn’t say the exact words, but they were good enough. He understood what he’s trying and what he wanted to say.

They sat back down with a large bowl of popcorn and beer and threw in an action movie. “Happy Birthday, hot stuff,” Steve’s said softly. One of his hands played with a few blonde curls in Billy’s hair.

“Thanks, babe.”

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. I have no clue how Walkie-Talkies work, I never had one. I honestly don't think I've ever even seen one in real life so...yeah.


End file.
